Opera in two acts
Text by Emanuel Schikaneder
First performed September 30th 1791, Freihaustheater auf der Wieden, Vienna

Sung in German
Duration: c. 3 1/4 hrs. incl. one interval

About the piece

Goethe received a letter from his mother in Frankfurt in 1793 saying: »No news really, except that Die Zauberföte was perf ...

Goethe received a letter from his mother in Frankfurt in 1793 saying: »No news really, except that Die Zauberföte was performed 18 times – to a full house every time... nobody wants it to be said of him that he has not seen it.« This gave this city’s most famous son an inkling, 200 years ago, of what has been confirmed over the years: that this opera, which began life on a stage in a suburb of Vienna, is a real »success story«. Mozart composed his last opera for a theatre of the people, combining fairy story elements, country bumkin humour, Freemasonry and the longing for far, distant, exotic places that was popular at the time. The result was an adventure about life and death, about love and growing up, about wisdom and power, the eternal fight between good and evil and - the magic of music. The Queen of the Night’s incredible coloratura arias and Papageno’s delightful scenes are just some of the elements that make Die Zauberflöte one of the most popular works in operatic repertoire. Frankfurt’s production, a smash hit for c. fifteen years, is magical, full of marvellous detail and very amusing in places.

Synopsis

Prince Tamino faints at the sight of an enormous serpent, which is killed by three beautiful women, servants to the Queen of the N ...

Prince Tamino faints at the sight of an enormous serpent, which is killed by three beautiful women, servants to the Queen of the Night, who wants Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of Sarastro. Tamino is given a magic flute and Papageno, the Queen's bird catcher, some magic bells to help them. In Sarastro's palace they find priests of the temple of wisdom instead of evil abductors. Before Tamino can join them and be united with Pamina he and Papageno must undergo several trials.